A man torn apart by a pack of dogs was so gruesomely mutilated that police at first thought he had been repeatedly shot, it has emerged.

Victim Demarcus ‘Sam’ McKenzie II, 27, was taken down by up to 10 vicious hounds in a house driveway in Skipperville, in Dale County, in the US state of Alabama, on 29th July.

The attack began after one dog attacked McKenzie, quickly followed by three others.

As he attempted to flee the pack, they were joined by a further five or six dogs, according to local media.

By the time police found McKenzie’s horrifically mutilated body they thought he was the victim of a frenzied gun attack and opened an investigation for homicide.

It was only when they viewed local CCTV security footage and received the autopsy results that the grim truth emerged.

Dale County Sheriff Mason Bynum reportedly said that surveillance footage showed that he was attacked after leaving the property and attempting to flee.

But they caught up with him and pulled him apart.

Bynum said: “The victim began to run down the driveway as two to three more dogs joined in on the attack.”

He added: “At one point, five to six dogs are seen violently attacking and mauling the victim as he struggles to stand.

“After a few minutes, the dogs overpower the victim, and he appears to become incapacitated.”

Local media said that the owners of the dogs have not been named and it is unclear if they will face any charges.

Ten dogs were reportedly euthanised on the morning of Monday, 31st July.